Another message showed him holding his wife's hands and saying "Every facet of my life would be worse without Rebecca in it. How will I ever thank her?

"I was in a coma for nine or ten nights (I just learned). That's a lot of staring at your husband and his pipes. And a lot of worry."

Image copyrightTwitter / Richard Bacon

When first taken ill he had originally joked on social media he was getting in on the celebrations for the 70th birthday of the NHS.

"I hate to miss a party," he posted.

It was only when his sister, Juliet, posted images from the hospital on Instagram that the seriousness of his condition became known.

Bacon, who was born in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, started his career on BBC Radio Nottingham before going on to present on national television and radio, including The Big Breakfast, Top of the Pops, BBC Radio 5 live and BBC 6 Music.

He now works in the US.

While the exact cause of his infection has not been confirmed, its symptoms appear to match pneumonia, a swelling of the tissue in one or both lungs caused by a bacterial infection.